diff --git a/src/BenchmarkDotNet/Helpers/PowerManagementHelper.cs b/src/BenchmarkDotNet/Helpers/PowerManagementHelper.cs
index e3d82dd517..6e3b8f7e43 100644
--- a/src/BenchmarkDotNet/Helpers/PowerManagementHelper.cs
+++ b/src/BenchmarkDotNet/Helpers/PowerManagementHelper.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
 using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
 using System.Text;
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ internal static string CurrentPlanFriendlyName
 
         internal static bool Set(Guid newPolicy)
         {
-           return PowerSetActiveScheme(IntPtr.Zero, ref newPolicy) == 0;
+            return PowerSetActiveScheme(IntPtr.Zero, ref newPolicy) == 0;
         }
 
         [DllImport("powrprof.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Unicode, ExactSpelling = true)]
@@ -61,5 +62,34 @@ internal static bool Set(Guid newPolicy)
 
         [DllImport("powrprof.dll", ExactSpelling = true)]
         private static extern uint PowerGetActiveScheme(IntPtr UserRootPowerKey, ref IntPtr ActivePolicyGuid);
+
+        [DllImport("powrprof.dll", SetLastError = true)]
+        private static extern uint PowerEnumerate(IntPtr RootPowerKey, IntPtr SchemeGuid, IntPtr SubGroupOfPowerSettingsGuid, uint AccessFlags, uint Index, ref Guid Buffer, ref uint BufferSize);
+
+        internal static IEnumerable<Guid> EnumerateAllPlanGuids()
+        {
+            const uint ACCESS_SCHEME = 16;
+            uint index = 0;
+            while (true)
+            {
+                Guid schemeGuid = Guid.Empty;
+                uint size = (uint)Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(Guid));
+                uint res = PowerEnumerate(IntPtr.Zero, IntPtr.Zero, IntPtr.Zero, ACCESS_SCHEME, index, ref schemeGuid, ref size);
+                if (res != 0)
+                    break;
+                yield return schemeGuid;
+                index++;
+            }
+        }
+
+        internal static bool PlanExists(Guid planGuid)
+        {
+            foreach (var guid in EnumerateAllPlanGuids())
+            {
+                if (guid == planGuid)
+                    return true;
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
     }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/BenchmarkDotNet/Running/BenchmarkRunnerClean.cs b/src/BenchmarkDotNet/Running/BenchmarkRunnerClean.cs
index 8ed930c1f4..e461fe89be 100644
--- a/src/BenchmarkDotNet/Running/BenchmarkRunnerClean.cs
+++ b/src/BenchmarkDotNet/Running/BenchmarkRunnerClean.cs
@@ -232,8 +232,24 @@ private static Summary Run(BenchmarkRunInfo benchmarkRunInfo,
                 {
                     var benchmark = benchmarks[i];
 
-                    powerManagementApplier.ApplyPerformancePlan(benchmark.Job.Environment.PowerPlanMode
-                        ?? benchmark.Job.ResolveValue(EnvironmentMode.PowerPlanModeCharacteristic, EnvironmentResolver.Instance).GetValueOrDefault());
+                    bool userExplicitlySetPlan = benchmark.Job.HasValue(EnvironmentMode.PowerPlanModeCharacteristic);
+
+                    var requestedPlan = benchmark.Job.Environment.PowerPlanMode
+                        ?? benchmark.Job.ResolveValue(EnvironmentMode.PowerPlanModeCharacteristic, EnvironmentResolver.Instance).GetValueOrDefault();
+
+                    // If the plan is not explicitly set and would downgrade Ultimate, skip changing
+                    if (!userExplicitlySetPlan && requestedPlan == PowerManagementApplier.Map(PowerPlan.HighPerformance))
+                    {
+                        var ultimateGuid = PowerManagementApplier.Map(PowerPlan.UltimatePerformance);
+                        var currentPlan = PowerManagementHelper.CurrentPlan;
+                        if (currentPlan.HasValue && currentPlan.Value == ultimateGuid)
+                        {
+                            logger.WriteLineInfo("Already on Ultimate Performance; not switching to High Performance since no plan explicitly set in Job.");
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    powerManagementApplier.ApplyPerformancePlan(requestedPlan);
 
                     var info = buildResults[benchmark];
                     var buildResult = info.buildResult;
diff --git a/src/BenchmarkDotNet/Running/PowerManagementApplier.cs b/src/BenchmarkDotNet/Running/PowerManagementApplier.cs
index f48d95d61e..69ede4a22d 100644
--- a/src/BenchmarkDotNet/Running/PowerManagementApplier.cs
+++ b/src/BenchmarkDotNet/Running/PowerManagementApplier.cs
@@ -76,6 +76,20 @@ private void ApplyPlanByGuid(Guid guid)
                     isInitialized = true;
                 }
 
+                Guid currentActivePlan = (Guid)PowerManagementHelper.CurrentPlan;
+                Guid ultimatePerformanceGuid = PowerPlansDict[PowerPlan.UltimatePerformance];
+                Guid highPerformanceGuid = PowerPlansDict[PowerPlan.HighPerformance];
+
+                if (currentActivePlan == ultimatePerformanceGuid && guid == highPerformanceGuid)
+                {
+                    if (!PowerManagementHelper.PlanExists(highPerformanceGuid))
+                    {
+                        logger.WriteLineInfo("Cannot setup High Performance power plan - plan doesn't exist on this system.");
+                        return;
+                    }
+                    logger.WriteLineInfo("Changing from Ultimate Performance to explicitly configured High Performance plan.");
+                }
+
                 if (PowerManagementHelper.Set(guid))
                 {
                     powerPlanChanged = true;
@@ -83,7 +97,9 @@ private void ApplyPlanByGuid(Guid guid)
                     logger.WriteLineInfo($"Setup power plan (GUID: {guid} FriendlyName: {powerPlanFriendlyName})");
                 }
                 else
+                {
                     logger.WriteLineError($"Cannot setup power plan (GUID: {guid})");
+                }
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
@@ -91,4 +107,4 @@ private void ApplyPlanByGuid(Guid guid)
             }
         }
     }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/BenchmarkDotNet.IntegrationTests/PowerManagementApplierTests.cs b/tests/BenchmarkDotNet.IntegrationTests/PowerManagementApplierTests.cs
index 69eed9a234..a6cbdad72f 100644
--- a/tests/BenchmarkDotNet.IntegrationTests/PowerManagementApplierTests.cs
+++ b/tests/BenchmarkDotNet.IntegrationTests/PowerManagementApplierTests.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
-using BenchmarkDotNet.Environments;
+using BenchmarkDotNet.Configs;
+using BenchmarkDotNet.Environments;
 using BenchmarkDotNet.Helpers;
+using BenchmarkDotNet.Jobs;
 using BenchmarkDotNet.Running;
 using BenchmarkDotNet.Tests.Loggers;
 using BenchmarkDotNet.Tests.XUnit;
@@ -42,5 +44,38 @@ public void TestPowerPlanShouldNotChange()
 
             Assert.Equal(userPlan, PowerManagementHelper.CurrentPlan);
         }
+
+        [FactEnvSpecific("Should keep power plan at Ultimate Performance if current power plan is Ultimate when a power plan is not specifically set", EnvRequirement.WindowsOnly)]
+        public void TestKeepingUltimatePowerPlan()
+        {
+            var ultimateGuid = PowerManagementApplier.Map(PowerPlan.UltimatePerformance);
+            var userPlan = PowerManagementHelper.CurrentPlan;
+
+            if (!PowerManagementHelper.PlanExists(ultimateGuid))
+            {
+                Output.WriteLine("Ultimate Performance plan does not exist or cannot be activated. Skipping test.");
+                return;
+            }
+
+            PowerManagementHelper.Set(ultimateGuid);
+
+            var job = Job.Default;
+
+            var config = ManualConfig.CreateEmpty().AddJob(job);
+
+            BenchmarkRunner.Run<DummyBenchmark>(config);
+
+            Assert.Equal(ultimateGuid.ToString(), PowerManagementHelper.CurrentPlan.ToString());
+
+            PowerManagementHelper.Set(userPlan.Value);
+        }
+
+        public class DummyBenchmark
+        {
+            [BenchmarkDotNet.Attributes.Benchmark]
+            public void DoNothing()
+            {
+            }
+        }
     }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file